Xiaomi unveils world's fastest wireless charging tech, recharges 4,000mAh battery in 20 mins

Xiaomi's wireless charging technology has allowed charging power to exceed 80 watts for the first time, breaking the world record for wireless charging of mobile phones, the Chinese smartphone maker announced in Beijing on Monday.

By comparison, Apple's new iPhone 12 series only supports up to 15W wireless charging.

Xiaomi said that with this technology, a 4,000mAh battery can be charged from zero to 50 percent in 8 minutes and fully charged in 19 minutes.

Chinese phone makers scramble to launch wireless fast charging

This is the third technological breakthrough this year for the Xiaomi wireless charging team. Previously, the record holder for wireless charging for mobile phones was the 50W wireless charging of the Xiaomi 10 Supreme Edition.

Zeng Xuezhong, Xiaomi's vice president and president of the mobile phone division, said that Xiaomi has specially tailored a more efficient wireless charging architecture and chip, designing a composite coil system.

The technology uses MTW multi-pole ear fast-charging batteries, dual 6C series cells, as well as a number of "accelerated" technologies such as multi-stage variable current regulation and MiFC fast charging.

The base of the wireless charging pad uses a high-speed, silent fan to effectively reduce heat generation during charging.

Zeng says that the battery still retains more than 90 percent of its effective capacity after 800 full charges and discharges.

Will wireless fast charging reduce battery lifespan?

Xiaomi premiered its 7.5-watt wireless charging technology in China in March 2018 and the world's first 20-watt wireless fast charging in February 2019.

In September 2019, Xiaomi world premiered 30-watt wireless flash charging technology, with the first 40-watt wireless flash charge released in March 2020 and the world premiere of 50-watt wireless charging technology in August 2020.

By comparison, Apple's new iPhone 12 series supports up to 15W wireless charging, but to reach that rate, users must use Apple's new MagSafe magnetic charging accessory.

The MagSafe magnetic charger attaches to the back of the new iPhone with an integrated magnet, similar to the Apple Watch charger, and costs 329 RMB in China. It's capable of charging iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models with 15W of faster power.

However, Qi-based wireless charging accessories don't seem to be able to get that faster charging speed, as the Qi charger's maximum power stays at 7.5 W, the same specs offered by iPhone 11 and older phones.

Also, while the MagSafe charger will be compatible with any iPhone that supports wireless charging, the faster 15W wireless charging will be limited to iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro.